The unforgiving slopes of Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, became the backdrop for a harrowing ordeal that pushed three young children to the brink. Micah Smith, 31, led his sons, aged two and four, and his eight-year-old daughter on a grueling hike up the Broads Fork Trail, a journey that would quickly spiral into a nightmare.
Eight hours of relentless climbing brought them to the summit, 11,330 feet above sea level, but their descent never began as planned. The family vanished, triggering a desperate search as a storm descended, bringing with it freezing rain and hail. The mountain, once a challenge, now threatened to become their tomb.
They were discovered the following day, ravaged by the elements. The two-year-old had fallen, striking his head against the unforgiving rocks. The four-year-old boy was found without a pulse, his small body a chilling 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Two of the children were clinging to life, battling severe frostbite and the crushing weight of hypothermia.
Rescuers fought for 25 minutes to revive the four-year-old, administering CPR until a faint heartbeat finally returned. The eight-year-old, though physically stable, was consumed by fear, convinced her family wouldn’t survive. The ordeal left an indelible mark, a terror etched into her young mind.
Smith initially claimed he’d attempted CPR on his unconscious toddler before leaving the children and descending the mountain alone. However, a chilling recording recovered from his phone revealed a different story. His eight-year-old daughter’s desperate plea – “Are we going to freeze to death, Daddy?” – was met with a callous response: “We’re almost to the top.”
Investigators discovered the children had previously expressed their anxieties about the hike to their father, fears he dismissed entirely. The District Attorney emphasized that the case wasn’t simply about physical endangerment, but the profound “emotional and psychological harm” inflicted upon the children.
Authorities believe the children will carry the scars of this experience indefinitely, a grim prognosis outlined in police documents. Even after the rescue, Smith’s behavior raised further concerns; he was barred from visiting his critically ill son in the hospital due to alleged tampering with medical equipment.
Now, Micah Smith sits in jail, held without bond, facing three counts of child torture and three counts of aggravated assault. The mountain stands silent, a stark reminder of a father’s choices and the devastating consequences that followed.
